Below-.500 Bronx Bombers aren't igniting

Combined wire services

Published 10:41 pm, Wednesday, July 2, 2014

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 02: Derek Jeter #2 of the New York Yankees reacts after striking out in the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on July 2, 2014 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 477585915

The New York Yankees are below .500 in the second half of a season for the first time in seven years. They've scored fewer runs in the American League than everyone but Houston and Boston, and the pinstriped players in the Bronx are hardly bombers.

No matter. Manager Joe Girardi is confident the Yankees will turn it around.

"This team never quits," he said. "They never quit and they won't quit."

New York failed to protect three leads Wednesday in losing its season-worst fifth straight game, 6-3 to Tampa Bay. Sean Rodriguez had the big blow in the finale of a three-game sweep at Yankee Stadium, a two-run homer in the sixth that helped the Rays to its season-best fifth win in a row.

New York is below .500 at 41-42 for the first time since April 11. The last time the Yankees were below .500 during the second half was in 2007 when they were 42-43. They went 52-25 the rest of the way to earn the wild card.

Brett Gardner hit a leadoff homer and an RBI single against Jake Odorizzi (4-7) and added another hit for the Yankees. New York could muster little other than Brian McCann's long ball on a sweltering day at Yankee Stadium. Humidity made the temperature feel as if it were in the high 90s.

New York fielded a lineup without two of its most productive players. Jacoby Ellsbury was given a day off for being "kind of beat up," according Girardi. Mark Teixeira was also out after having fluid drained from his left knee, but Girardi expects him back in the lineup Thursday.

An offense that has scored only 330 runs and hit 71 homers stalled after Gardner's bouncer got past James Loney for a 3-2 lead in the fourth.

"I still believe in this team," Girardi said. "We just need to play better. It's a lot of different phases. You can look at almost every phase and say we need to play better and we have to find a way to get it done."

The Rays finished off their first road sweep since taking three in the Bronx Sept. 24-26.

The Rays improved to 11 games under .500 for the first time in a month.